Big Brother
by ScarlettScribe
Summary: Rumble is excited to go with his brother, Thunderlane, to Cloudsdale to support him for his first entry into the Best Young Flyers competition! Both brothers crave adventure, speed, and, though they hate to admit it, a little romance. Many things await these two in the week they'll spend in the city in the sky...


"Hi, I'm Rumble, and you?" I pathetically said to my own reflection. I lightly shook my head; no, that wasn't right, she has to know that I know who she is, otherwise what's the point? I tried once again: "Hi, I'm Rumble. I've seen you around school and wondered if you wanted to go grab some lunch or something some time?"

No, still wrong. Why does it sound so unnatural? I winced in the mirror, examined my face carefully and then tried to relax my expression and posture. "Hi," I said with a puff of breath, "I'm –"

"Hey lil' bro, what you doing?" Thunderlane asked, poking his head around the side of the door and grinning, seemingly unaware that he had just interrupted my embarrassing preparations as well as knocked over the bin so rubbish was pouring out onto the floor.

"Oh!" I gave a high-pitched yelp, then lowered my voice and tried to act normal, "nothing really, you?"

"I'm about to head out to catch the train," he replied, eyeing me suspiciously. But he quickly pushed the thoughts away and smiled, "you coming to support me or what?"

Of course! The Best Young Flyer's competition! How in Equestria could I have forgotten? Thunderlane had been training for weeks for his first ever entry into the competition and today was finally the day. Well, kind of the day. This year would be the first time that ponies would be allowed to arrive at the site a week prior to the competition and use the Cloudsdale elite flying facilities to train, so we were going a week early just to fit in some last minute training. I gasped and quickly retrieved my packed saddlepack from under my bed. I threw it onto my back and hovered a few feet in the air, beaming with excitement.

He chuckled, "you ready then?"

I nodded my head vigorously and almost screamed "Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Oh my gosh I'm so excited! Yes! Let's go!" He laughed and called excitedly "as you wish, let's go then!"

We headed out the door, calling a quick goodbye to our mum. Thunderlane lives alone in his own house now, he just came by to pick me up. My mum barely agreed to even let me go to Cloudsdale, it took tons of pleading and begging and she's still not completely happy. I can't wait until I'm older and can do what I want, then I'd enter the Best Young Flyers competition myself!

"Right," my brother said, his saddlepack on, "we'll get the train to Unicorn Range and then fly from there. It's not too far, I think you'll be able to handle it, but tell me if you need to take a break, ok?"

"I won't need a break!" I insisted while walking through Ponyville, "I practise flying every night so I can be as good as you, and I'm going to join the Wonderbolts one day!"

"Wow, it's great to have a goal like that," Thunderlane replied, "I'm sure you'll become a Wonderbolt and I bet you'll be great at it. We've got to get you into the academy as soon as you're old enough,"

I nodded, "like you!" I said "aren't you a lead pony already? That's so good; I hope I'll become a lead pony!"

"Don't forget that wing ponies are awesome too," he reminded me, just like an older brother should, I guess, "my wing pony Raindrops is a great flyer, but it just works better if I lead. If you want to be a Wonderbolt you should know that it's not always about speed, it's about teamwork too."

"Yeah, yeah," I blabbed as we walked onto the Ponyville train station platform, I rolled my eyes mischievously.

"Hey you," he said with a laugh, grabbing my head and ruffling my mane as I squirmed under his grip, "I'm the one in the Wonderbolt Academy, you should listen to the expert's advice!"

"Yeah but why are you even in the _Wonderbolt_ Academy if you don't want to become a _Wonderbolt_?" I asked, genuinely confused, "doesn't it seem a little pointless?"

"Of course it isn't," he answered, "it opens so many opportunities. You get to build up your wing power, fly with the best of the best and I met my true love there,"

This time I rolled my eyes seriously, "Rarity?" I asked, knowing the answer that he had told me of so many times before.

"Ah, Rarity," he sighed as if in a daze, "she's so beautiful and clever. She makes all of those wonderful outfits out of pure creativity and chooses the perfect material, she's amazing. You know, I knew from that very moment I caught her falling from the sky and she swung her hooves around me that we were meant to be. I hear she's working as Sapphire Shores' personal designer now, isn't that just so cool?"

"Yep." I replied bluntly, "just as cool as the last hundred times you told me."

"Well I can't help repeating myself, she's just that kind of pony that you want to talk about forever," he said. I disagreed but decided not to break his thunder. "Don't you know anypony like that?"

"No," I replied quickly, acutely aware that I had turned red. Darn it.

"You so do!" Thunderlane gasped, "My little brother is in love! Who's the lucky filly?"

"There is no lucky filly," I answered through my bared teeth.

"Oh. So...by that...do you mean that there's a lucky colt?" he asked sensitively, "because that's ok, Rumble. That's fine; no one cares who it is. We love you no matter what, don't feel worried,"

"Thunderlane, I don't like colts!" I cried out just as the train finally appeared, "by that I meant that there's no lucky anypony! No colts, fillies, stallions, mares, whatever. I'm not in love!"

My brother simply stared and deviously grinned at me for ages. He didn't even stop staring and grinning while getting on the train. But he had to stop after bumping into an elderly mare and he embarrassingly apologised. He breathed a sigh as we sat down in the carriage, I know he hadn't forgotten our little conversation but for now I was grateful that he'd dropped the subject. Thunderlane stuck one hoof out of the window to wave goodbye to oblivious ponies as the train chugged away while shouting at the tops of his lungs "TO CLOUDSDALE!"


End file.
